DNA test clears 'Dag'A second DNA-based paternity test released yesterday confirmed that popular singer Ekkarat 'Dag' Wongchalard did not father a baby boy with a minor, as the mother had earlier alleged.

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of the Justice Ministry's Forensic Science Institute who announced the test result, called on the media to stop digging further, especially into the personal life of the unnamed 17-year-old

mother.

She urged all women to use Ekkarat's case as a lesson that they should not complain publicly about their 'accidental' pregnancy. Pornthip said she and the justice minister were willing to give confidential advice to women facing such a situation, free of charge.

Pornthip said the woman made her case known because she had been wrongly advised in the first place. "She has never made any legal demand over what happened. She just wanted her baby to have a father," she added.

Ekkarat, lead singer of Big Ass band, said he felt relieved and repeated his earlier pledge to support the mother and baby financially whatever the test results - upon her request.

Responding to a statutory-rape charge filed against him for having had sex with the underage mother, Ekkarat said he would let the prosecution proceed with its duty.